We Americans are full of our sense of ourselves as having benign imperial impulses. That’s why the idea of the American Empire was celebrated as a benign phenomenon. We were going to bring order to the world. Well, yes … as long as you didn’t resist us. And that’s where we really have something terrible in common with the Roman Empire. If you resist us, we will do our best to destroy you, and that’s what’s happening in Iraq right now, but not only in Iraq. That’s the saddest thing, because the way we destroy people is not only by overt military power, but by writing you out of the world economic and political system that we control. And if you’re one of those benighted people of Bangladesh, or Ghana, or Sudan, or possibly Detroit, then that’s the way we respond to you. We’d do better in other words if we had a more complicated notion of what the Roman Empire was. We must reckon with imperial power as it is felt by people at the bottom. Rome’s power. America’s.
An interview in the Asia Times with James Carroll, son of a lieutenant-general, a former Catholic priest, columnist and author
Published 3 years ago
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What an interesting world some folks live in, BD, where all would be sweet and light if Americans would simply withdraw from world affairs. Then the bad guys would lay down their swords and beat them into plowshares, and the Kingdom of God on earth would be fulfilled. If we would but take our great wealth and give it to the rest of the world, then no one would have need, no one would want more than their share. Once again the noble savage would reign.
By the way, my father was an engineering manager, I am a current Presbyterian minister, and I write good too. Does that confer upon me a certain sreet cred I would lack otherwise?
Rev. Mike I love the sarcasm.So many are idealistic when it comes to pascifism.
REv. Mike,
The only problem is that we are often the bad guys. Part of the time we need someone cleaning up our messes. But if a warship or warplane of another country gets anywhere close to our country, we are SHOCKED, I say.
I don’t think the U.S. is interested in influencing the world toward democracy or freedom, I think it is often interested in being a bully.
I love my country. But sometimes I think we’re like a big brother who has a bedroom three times the size of his younger sibs’, cable and telephone to boot, but complains when a younger brother in a cramped room has his stereo up a little higher than big bro would like.
The Bible says the first shall be last. The American version has become we’re first and the rest of you can go straight to hell.
Tony Blair signed on with Bush and how did Bush treat Blair in return? As a know-nothing puppet on a string.
(wince)
if america is just its people, i can say at least in my case that you’ve gotten it wrong.
i believe in live and let live, but they won’t let me be president.
So we should let foreign warplanes and war items near the US? It is not that we are shocked but that it is not right when we are a country that is for freedom and liberty. Also, other countries like to be protected so they can maintain the freedom and liberty that they have or want to obtain the freedom and liberty that they don’t have. I’m really tired of people just because the US is big of being “scared” of the US. It seems so ridiculous to me when so many nations have freed because the US helped those nations for freedom (Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, Taiwan, S. Korea, France, Greece, etc.) What would have happened if we have your attitude toward these countries and what would have been the result otherwise? That is where the rubber meets the grind stone.
I thought it was an interesting interview.
Still, (Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, Taiwan, S. Korea, France, Greece, etc.) What would have happened if we have your attitude toward these countries and what would have been the result otherwise?
For me the “result otherwise” helps for proper context, if you get my drift.
Lots of things are interesting, BD. Let me recommend to you a Lee Harris article from the Wall Street Journal (http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110002911). If you can read this and still distinguish the Carroll interview from the raftload of pseudo-Marxist, pseudo-intellectual claptrap to which we are subjected routinely in the mainstream media, I will doff my chapeau to you all.
Doff your chapeau Mike, I read it. Thanks.
I find your assumption on my or my readers capabilities to distinguish interesting also.:^)
OK, what distinguishes it?